Located at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate is a Moroccan city overlooking the vast Sahara Desert. Its strategic position has made it an important crossroads between the north and south of Morocco for centuries
The name Ouarzazate comes from a Berber word meaning without noise or confusion, a name that reflects its tranquil atmosphere immersed in a breathtaking landscape
Before the arrival of the Arabs, the region was inhabited by Berber tribes who built fortified villages called ksar made of mud and straw resistant to the arid climate. The area was crossed by ancient trade routes that connected the Sahara with the cities of the Mediterranean, transporting salt, spices, fabrics and gold
In the Middle Ages, the Ouarzazate area was a stopping point for caravans crossing the desert, often headed towards Timbuktu in Mali
The real birth of Ouarzazate as a modern city dates back to the period of the French protectorate at the beginning of the twentieth century the French built a military base and several road infrastructures to better control the Saharan region
It was then that Ouarzazate began to grow with the construction of the casbah of Taourirt restored and expanded becoming one of the symbols of the city this casbah was the residence of the pasha El Glaoui powerful governor of southern Morocco
In the 80s and 90s Ouarzazate became famous outside Morocco for a very particular reason: some of the largest film studios in the world were built here, such as Atlas Studios
Famous films such as Gladiator Lawrence of Arabia The Mummy and even modern series such as Game of Thrones were filmed in this area
The arid landscape, the mountains in the background and the ancient kasbahs make Ouarzazate a perfect setting to recreate ancient Egypt, the Holy Land or the Roman Empire
Today Ouarzazate is one of the most fascinating tourist destinations in Morocco, a starting point for excursions into the desert such as the famous Draa Valley or the dunes of Merzouga
The city has managed to maintain its Berber roots with its artisan markets, red earth houses and traditional music
Visiting Ouarzazate is like taking a leap back in time between sand, mountains, history and magic
The wonderful city of Ouarzazate in Morocco